“Our concern – and we’ve communicated this over the weekend to all stations, is that the opposition may be about to deploy an invisible.”

An “invisible” is CIA-speak for the ultimate intelligence nightmare: the terrorist who, because he or she is an ethnic native of the target country, can cross its borders uncheckA tense, fast-moving debut thriller from the ex-head of MI5.

“Our concern – and we’ve communicated this over the weekend to all stations, is that the opposition may be about to deploy an invisible.”

An “invisible” is CIA-speak for the ultimate intelligence nightmare: the terrorist who, because he or she is an ethnic native of the target country, can cross its borders unchecked, move around that country unquestioned and infiltrate its institutions with ease. An invisible on mainland Britain was the worst possible news.

For Liz Carlyle, an MI5 Intelligence Officer, this report from MI6 marks the start of an operation that will test her to the limit and put her own life in jeopardy. As she sifts the incoming evidence and gets reports from her agents, she realizes the terrorist threat is imminent. But who or what is the target? And who or where is the invisible? Time is of the essence in this desperate search and it becomes clear that it is Liz’s intuitive skills – her ability to get inside her enemy’s head – that offer the only hope of averting disaster.

In this terrifying and tautly drawn debut thriller, Stella Rimington takes us to the heart of the intelligence world. It is a place she is uniquely qualified to describe.

Community Reviews

If you enjoy spy intrigue stories you will love this book. The plot is captivating and of course extremely realistic considering the author's previous career with MI5. My only complaint was that I needed a "British-English / American-English" dictionary to help me with a lot of the lingo. Also, there are some assumptions made by the author with regards to British culture that not all her non-British readers will be familiar with.

I may continue series, but I more admire than like: heroine Liz, her deceptive frightening world, traitors - novice Jean or jaded Mansoor. The Western good guys stumble always a footstep behind the Islamic terrorists,"In any campaign, the first stronghold that you have to occupy is your enemy's consciousness" - Feliks Dzerzhinsky KGB founder p 424.

I may continue series, but I more admire than like: heroine Liz, her deceptive frightening world, traitors - novice Jean or jaded Mansoor. The Western good guys stumble always a footstep behind the Islamic terrorists, in slow reveal. Clues dribble tediously, sought, (mis)interpreted. The suspense builds fact by fact.

Author, retired MI6 director, knew her job, and tells us expertly, teasingly, so 5* for series debut, started after actress mentioned on extras for http://aneyespy.blogspot.ca/2012/06/s... Anecdotes have ring of truth, like "well-heeled public schoolboys snorting lemon sherbet" from sweets to drug high p266. Denzil refuses drink because driving - "straight to the pub" p525.

Work is excuse for dropped relationships. McKay says "I love it when you talk dirty" disrespectfully in front of professional peers for "joke"; she drives hard off the road, slamming brakes in return p319.

(view spoiler)[In the game of espionage, as in life, chance rules skill. Jean relents, face to face, flirting with son of targeted family. "The most important conversation" saves lives. She sees the boy has the goodness of soul to use the opportunities she rejected. Another reader might hear other morals. (hide spoiler)]

MI5 (British Military Intelligence internal) terrorist analyst Liz Carlyle 32 is softly-dressed but tough-spoken to everyone. MI6 Bruno Mackay also 32 has good looks "far too emphatic" p15(view spoiler)[, at end revealed to be former handler of Mansoor at end (hide spoiler)]. ("her opposite number" p70, he is not like Jacob Hay's from Ellery Queen's "Eyes of Mystery" http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ) His superior Geoffrey Fane is ongoing enemy in series. Her former source Zander bypasses his official Special Branch handler Morrison(view spoiler)[, "on the take" p285 (hide spoiler)].

British society classes block help between levels: upper-crust Etonian MI6 (international division), career Army, or cop on the daily beat. Lakeby avoids "using the men's names - a subtle but unmistakable putting of them into their place p177. Sticky spiderwebs entangle, hinder solution.

Liz can use deliberate bureaucratic bumbling. If nit-picking bully "jobsworth" Morrison buries valuable data, she has "more pieces of the jigsaw than anyone else. Which was how she liked it" p126.

Rimington flows, usually easily, in current of time, varies viewpoints, invents believable histories. Islam fills a typical "desperately lonely" p136 teen need to belong. Aliases, such as name on license Lucy p231, kept straight by author expertise. "Collateral Damage" (Schwarzenegger's film does theme better, equivocates black and white, good and bad) accidentally bombs Mansoor's family wedding p470. Disaster is set in train.

"They're looking for us, I can feel it" p234. "I can feel her shadow" p467. Reality is spoiled by dreams, psychic supernatural trash.

Viewpoint from Denzil on school holiday, keeps crossing paths with the terrorist couple, confusing until the end(view spoiler)[ we learn he is the son of the target family, and Jean accepts his innocence to save their lives (hide spoiler)].

Asides:Acronyms are thankfully minimal: ITS is Islamic Terrorist Syndicate p16, COBRA is Whitehall Cabinet Office Briefing Room p395. A leather jacket in Canada costs more than cloth, so "cheap-looking and unfashionable" p278 strikes an off note.

Like Agatha Christie uses italics, Rimington uses bold letters for emphasis. Factory assembly line romance style founder Barbara Cartland was over-fond of exclamation marks. Is this a British speech pattern "thing", like Hollywood air quotes? ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

Stella Rimington really grabs the reader from the very beginning. Characters and plot are intertwined like strands of string in a cord, each heading toward a final event that has anti-terrorist agents worried. Along the way, we grown closer to intelligence officer Liz Caryle, who has spent a lifetime trying to prove herself in a very dangerous, male-oriented environment.

Liz and her counter-terrorist teammates must learn whether the opposition has finally been able to land an foreign agent on UKStella Rimington really grabs the reader from the very beginning. Characters and plot are intertwined like strands of string in a cord, each heading toward a final event that has anti-terrorist agents worried. Along the way, we grown closer to intelligence officer Liz Caryle, who has spent a lifetime trying to prove herself in a very dangerous, male-oriented environment.

Liz and her counter-terrorist teammates must learn whether the opposition has finally been able to land an foreign agent on UK soil to commit an horrendous act with the help of a "invisible." An invisible, explains the book cover, "is CIA-speak for the ultimate intelligence nightmare: a terrorist who is an ethnic native of the target country and who can therefore cross its borders unchecked, moves around the country unquestioned, and go unnoticed while settng up the foundation for monstrous harm."

This is the backdrop of At Risk. This novel is authored by novelist Stella Rimington, after she retired from Britain's Security Service (MI5) as director general after thirty-five years of service, which included responsilibiies of investigationing counter-subversion, counter-espionage, and counter-terrorism. In short, Rimington writes from her own experiences working in that gray netherworld that is seldom touched by daylight. A well-written, well-crafted novel. I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy this genre....more

Started October 11th, 2013. Bought a cheap Daily Kindle-Deal, and that was the 7th in this series: The Geneva Trap . After some research I bought this (the first) to start with the series.As of this date this is not available as a Kindle-eBook (in Germany, but I also looked elsewhere), I had to buy the EPUB and convert it with Calibre to Mobi, so I can read it on my Kindle Paperwhite (first edition).While the idea to read a book by a former spook (UK Mi5-Member) sounds interesting, the last oneStarted October 11th, 2013. Bought a cheap Daily Kindle-Deal, and that was the 7th in this series: The Geneva Trap . After some research I bought this (the first) to start with the series.As of this date this is not available as a Kindle-eBook (in Germany, but I also looked elsewhere), I had to buy the EPUB and convert it with Calibre to Mobi, so I can read it on my Kindle Paperwhite (first edition).While the idea to read a book by a former spook (UK Mi5-Member) sounds interesting, the last one Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer was rather dull and dragged. But that was no spy-novel but instead a real-life-account, so that was ok, and I did not read it for entertainment but rather information.Not entirely fast paced, it picked up speed after the first third.Brilliant British English, very sophisticated. A comparison with the mostly US-American-English seems unfair, but having read a few self-published ebooks lately, this was a refreshing cut above even to most US-Bestsellers (like Patterson etc.).So why not 5 stars? Too slow in the beginning, at times too much backstory for some persons, pieces of information added nothing to the main-story. In contrast I was relieved how Liz handled her love-life. Highly recommend but not a real page-turner.The next book in the series Secret Asset will also be the next book I read, just bought and downloaded it....more

I took up this book because it was written by a woman who became the first female director of MI5. That's a pretty remarkable thing, even today. And unlike similar books I have read, the author creates in this novel a world that is decidedly real. One of the most thrilling aspects of this story is that it very well could happen at any time. It also honestly explores the darker side to government operations. The missions and accidents that people are not so proud of, that they don't want the presI took up this book because it was written by a woman who became the first female director of MI5. That's a pretty remarkable thing, even today. And unlike similar books I have read, the author creates in this novel a world that is decidedly real. One of the most thrilling aspects of this story is that it very well could happen at any time. It also honestly explores the darker side to government operations. The missions and accidents that people are not so proud of, that they don't want the press or the people to hear. That said, there are a couple of reason why I gave it the rating I did. For one, the flow of the story was a bit choppy at times. She brought the necessary bits and pieces together, but sometimes in a way that was completely disruptive to the narrative. It would have earned 5 stars, even still, if Ms. Rimington had tied up a few of the loose ends a little more clearly, and had alluded to and explained some of the surprises a little more thoroughly. One thing that frustrates me in a book is a seemingly abandoned subplot. And the one I am referring to isn't even that important to the story, but the fact that she repeatedly brought it up, yet there was no real resolution to it perhaps because it was so minor, is annoying. But all other things considered, it was a very good first outing, and I am looking forward to trying her other books....more

This is Stella Rimington's first book, in which she introduces the character of Liz Carlyle who is employed by M15 as an agent-runner.

This book seems quite topical at the time I write this. It is based around what is called 'an invisible' by the security services.

Much of the story takes place in the rural parts of East Anglia. I like the way the novel is crafted. It is written from two view-points: Firstly through the eyes if Liz and her MI5 and M16 colleagues. Secondly through the eyes of ?? AnThis is Stella Rimington's first book, in which she introduces the character of Liz Carlyle who is employed by M15 as an agent-runner.

This book seems quite topical at the time I write this. It is based around what is called 'an invisible' by the security services.

Much of the story takes place in the rural parts of East Anglia. I like the way the novel is crafted. It is written from two view-points: Firstly through the eyes if Liz and her MI5 and M16 colleagues. Secondly through the eyes of ?? And ?? who are the radical Islamic Fundamentalists who are in England to undertake a terrorist action.

There are some good sections of dialogue which make the characters come to life. This is a story which certainly has a lot of pace. The tension builds steadily and the conflicts between the different organisations; police, military and special services are brought out well. Will Liz Carlyle get her villain(s)? You will need to read it to find out.

I look forward to reading 'the Secret Asset' the second book in the series....more

I was waiting to hear Dame Stella give a talk and I asked the lady next to me if this book was any good. The lady in question was the author.I am glad I made the purchase as the material is very deftly handled. The structure reminded me of the Day of the Jackal with the bad guys winning the first few rounds. The main protagonists start off in Afghanistan and London and then gradually move closer until an explosive denouement.Interesting to work out the bees in the Dame's bonnet. Men often get toI was waiting to hear Dame Stella give a talk and I asked the lady next to me if this book was any good. The lady in question was the author.I am glad I made the purchase as the material is very deftly handled. The structure reminded me of the Day of the Jackal with the bad guys winning the first few rounds. The main protagonists start off in Afghanistan and London and then gradually move closer until an explosive denouement.Interesting to work out the bees in the Dame's bonnet. Men often get to her. Posh men almost always do. The author obviously has a core of steel, as one would expect from a top spook, but I detected that perhaps she was a little uneasy at some of the collateral damage that might result from her activities. The risks to agents are touched on. There are some great touches. The scene where the heroine puts pressure on a local bigwig is very well done.Some reviewers have given a "good first effort" to this book, but I think it is far above that. Some far more experienced authors have produced far less satisfying books. Come to think of it, The Day of the Jackal was a first novel and it remains a favourite....more

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this! I am not a huge fan of espionage books (I have read some over the years) but I must say I really enjoyed this one, the first in the Liz Carlyle series - I gather there are eight altogether now and I shall be starting the next one right away! Liz Carlyle is an agent-runner in MI5's Joint Counter-Terrorist Group, which is facing the ultimate intelligence nightmare; an "invisible," a terrorist who's an ethnic native of the target country and thus abI have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this! I am not a huge fan of espionage books (I have read some over the years) but I must say I really enjoyed this one, the first in the Liz Carlyle series - I gather there are eight altogether now and I shall be starting the next one right away! Liz Carlyle is an agent-runner in MI5's Joint Counter-Terrorist Group, which is facing the ultimate intelligence nightmare; an "invisible," a terrorist who's an ethnic native of the target country and thus able to cross its borders unchecked and move around unquestioned. All Liz and her team have to go on is the suspicion that a local fisherman who was shot with an unusual armor-piercing gun known to be favored by foreign agents and whose body was found in the restroom of a transport café near a smuggler's beach may have been involved in helping an undercover operative known as "Vengeance Before God" enter England without benefit of passport or visa - a man whose mission, if not his identity, has been the subject of recent intelligence "chatter" from militant Muslim sources. And while Liz thinks she knows who the operative is - an Afghani with forged papers last seen in a German port city--she doesn't have a clue about the "invisible" who's helping him, or the target in their crosshairs. This is a tightly drawn, well paced thriller which had me wanting to read more from the first page. The characters seem authentic and she gives a good sense of the shadowy world of the intelligence services. Definitely a four star rating for me! ...more

This book was fantastic! The ending a bit unexpected and the plots within plots that unfolded were exceedingly tangled and interesting. Learning the names and functions of the various British government agencies and roles takes some attention to detail for the uninitiated but is well worth the effort.

The author is a former Director General in the British Security Service (MI5) who writes novels relating to that setting with particular attention to counter-subversion, counter-espionage and countThis book was fantastic! The ending a bit unexpected and the plots within plots that unfolded were exceedingly tangled and interesting. Learning the names and functions of the various British government agencies and roles takes some attention to detail for the uninitiated but is well worth the effort.

The author is a former Director General in the British Security Service (MI5) who writes novels relating to that setting with particular attention to counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism.

This book is the first in a series that follows the career of Liz Carlyle, a fictional (of course) employee of MI5. The book is exciting, interesting, adventurous, funny, a bit scary, detailed, and suspenseful, with an interesting mixture of subtle and not so subtle characters. The narrator, Jennifer McMahon, reads beautifully, using a convincing range of accents.

If you like thrillers, suspense, or crime novels, or any of that sort of thing, read this book. Or, get the audiobook from audible.com. It has an excellent narrator....more

I really enjoyed At Risk, Stella Rimington's first novel in the Liz Carlyle series. Unfortunately, I'd begun reading Rimington with the 8th book in the series, didn't think it was very good but took a chance at checking out an earlier entry. I'm glad I did.

At Risk is a very good spy thriller with a plot that, sadly, seems all too real. I won't go into details, but suffice to say that it's a great story that could be taken from current headlines. Rimington has tons of credibility, writes well, anI really enjoyed At Risk, Stella Rimington's first novel in the Liz Carlyle series. Unfortunately, I'd begun reading Rimington with the 8th book in the series, didn't think it was very good but took a chance at checking out an earlier entry. I'm glad I did.

At Risk is a very good spy thriller with a plot that, sadly, seems all too real. I won't go into details, but suffice to say that it's a great story that could be taken from current headlines. Rimington has tons of credibility, writes well, and does a good job with dialogue (much better than Close Call).

It now looks like I have 6 more of the Liz Carlyle series to absorb. I'm interested in seeing how the characters develop along the way and if Close Call was an aberration or a slide into mediocrity for Ms. Rimington. If you're into spy novels, though, this one is a good one!...more

The adventures of Liz Carlyle, female MI5 officer, as conceived by former Director General of MI5, Stella Rimington? A no-brainer- this is utter, lose yourself in the adventure fun. Step aside, Jason Bourne, the lady has arrived!

I find the style engaging. I like the scenery description. It centres on one efent lead to its conclusion. I didn't like the killing scens, because I don't like killings! (Trust me to read a thriller!) The scenes are well researched and lead on to the next chapter. I think it's a good insight into terrorism and how people might become convinced to turn to extreme ideas. I didn't like the heroes because they were described as terrible with terrible thoughts. So I was glad to see the conclusion. AI find the style engaging. I like the scenery description. It centres on one efent lead to its conclusion. I didn't like the killing scens, because I don't like killings! (Trust me to read a thriller!) The scenes are well researched and lead on to the next chapter. I think it's a good insight into terrorism and how people might become convinced to turn to extreme ideas. I didn't like the heroes because they were described as terrible with terrible thoughts. So I was glad to see the conclusion. An author can choose her conclusion. I read some domments as to the weakness of the conclusion,but I liked it. It felt logical and emphasised the fact that the Intelligence service is a busy and efficient body that protects us. That is a reassuring conclusion.For the introduction, I loved it! I loved how the author presents her hero on teh malfunctioning tube in London; how she sees tow people and guesses what their profession was according to their clothes. I like how she introduces a typical starting day, on teh tube with people who try to be alert, and introducing what will be her day.

Well packed, with plenty of action and with difficult searches, just ss I imagine it in reality, sometimes so painstaking, yet efficient in uncovering terrorists scheme, and how one could try to detect where they will carry out their act. Very satisfying....more

I’ve been on a spy kick lately, rereading books by old favorites John Le Carré and Charles McCarry and watching the British TV series, Sandbaggers, which, it turns out, has a sort of cult following among intelligence buffs—supposed to be pretty authentic. Most of those books I’ve been rereading as well as Sandbaggers focus on Cold War espionage. This novel focuses on contemporary terrorism and its author, Stella Rimington, is a past director of Britain’s MI5.

It’s like a police procedural, whereI’ve been on a spy kick lately, rereading books by old favorites John Le Carré and Charles McCarry and watching the British TV series, Sandbaggers, which, it turns out, has a sort of cult following among intelligence buffs—supposed to be pretty authentic. Most of those books I’ve been rereading as well as Sandbaggers focus on Cold War espionage. This novel focuses on contemporary terrorism and its author, Stella Rimington, is a past director of Britain’s MI5.

It’s like a police procedural, where the good guys are chasing some baddies whom they can’t identify and know very little about. Each chapter presents bits and pieces of the story, not only from the authorities’ point of view but from that of the bad guys and of others tangentially involved in the action.

The heroine, LizCarlyle, is an MI5 officer on a counterintelligence taskforce that includes Special Branch and MI6 as well as local police. MI6 has reported the name of a possibly dangerous terrorist who’s disappeared from his job near Peshawar, Pakhistan, and is known to have obtained an illegal British driving license. The plot is complicated throughout by a Special Branch officer who may be in the pay of a gang of organized crime, known to be smuggling cigarettes and drugs and possibly to have moved into the people smuggling trade, and by the rivalry and one-upmanship between MI5 and MI6.

The action takes place mostly on the Norfolk coast where an illegal agent is believed to have arrived in Britain with a load of illegals and where a local man is found murdered in strange circumstances by a military weapon. Then the hunt is on for the person—a woman they soon discover—who meets the illegal and travels with him on his mission.

It’s not a bad thriller. Certainly the details of the chase are detailed and believable. The characters, both good and bad, are interesting and the pace of the novel works. There’s a love affair that nags in the background—possibly because that sort of thing is demanded these days—but it’s pretty feeble and the heroine decides quite early to walk out of it because her heart is really in her job. It’s so unimportant that it’s not even tied up in the end. The possibly dirty officer part of the plot is not followed up either. The odd behavior of MI6 part of the plot is tied up in the end....more

This is the first of a so-far successful series featuring MI5 operative Liz Carlyle written by the agency's former general director.

One way to look at the protagonist--she is the opposite of Ian Fleming's Agent 007, James Bond. The most basic way, of course, is that Bond is male, Liz female. Bond is licensed to kill--although that license wouldn't work since it would only allow killing in the realm of the Queen, the area where Bond's agency is forbidden from operating. Bond is a spy, working inThis is the first of a so-far successful series featuring MI5 operative Liz Carlyle written by the agency's former general director.

One way to look at the protagonist--she is the opposite of Ian Fleming's Agent 007, James Bond. The most basic way, of course, is that Bond is male, Liz female. Bond is licensed to kill--although that license wouldn't work since it would only allow killing in the realm of the Queen, the area where Bond's agency is forbidden from operating. Bond is a spy, working in foreign countries while Carlyle is a counterspy working in the UK. Bond is a loner, acting on his own, often at odds with his superiors while Carlyle is a skilled bureaucratic infighter, keeping one eye on the competition (other MI5 employees at the same paygrade) while working her agents against terrorist and espionage targets.

Bond had lots of high-tech weapons, fast cars and beautiful women. Carlyle has her laptop and secure phone, takes the bus or train and almost always sleeps alone. Bonds enemies were florid and showy--Goldfinger, Dr. No, SMERSH--while Carlyle is hampered by turf wars with other agencies, bumbling underlings and interference from political appointees.

Bond was a man of action who fetishized firearms, was impervious to pain and quick with his fists. Carlyle depends on her intelligence and ability to think like her enemy thinks.

There are a few obvious structural problems with "At Risk". The climax builds for much too long although the ending actually makes sense--not always a given in this genre of literature--but overall it is a well written first novel that introduces a character that the reader likes spending time with and wants to know more about.

This one had been on my list for a while, and I finally got around to it. Rimington used to head up Britain's MI5, so I was interested to see her take on the spy novel. Her main character is a woman, Liz Carlyle, who is an intelligence officer with MI5. Liz has been doing fairly well at her job, although it has necessitated making some sacrifices in her personal life. She knows that she is good at her job and she feels that this is where she should be, so making those sacrifices is part of the pThis one had been on my list for a while, and I finally got around to it. Rimington used to head up Britain's MI5, so I was interested to see her take on the spy novel. Her main character is a woman, Liz Carlyle, who is an intelligence officer with MI5. Liz has been doing fairly well at her job, although it has necessitated making some sacrifices in her personal life. She knows that she is good at her job and she feels that this is where she should be, so making those sacrifices is part of the price she is willing to pay. In this first novel, Liz is brought in on a case where there is suspected terrorism. One of her former contacts has come back to her rather than his current minder, and she goes with her gut on the followup to his information. This necessitates working with the police as well as MI6, and she is never sure that MI6 is telling her everything they know. She also doesn't particularly like the MI6 agent that she must work with. She is a strong woman who doesn't let herself be pushed around, and knows the value of her own intelligence. She treats her contacts well. I really liked her as a character. I enjoyed the book with all its twists and turns and will look for the others that Rimington has written....more

Liz Carlyle works for MI5, the agency of which Stella Rimington was the first female director general. Her experience is used well in this, her first novel.

An announcement is made at a meeting that Islamic terrorists may be about to deploy an 'invisible', an agent native to Britain and able to move and act without attracting suspicion. This is worrying, but Liz has agents to supervise and a new MI6 counterpart to deal with. Very quickly, however, Liz receives information that puts her in the cenLiz Carlyle works for MI5, the agency of which Stella Rimington was the first female director general. Her experience is used well in this, her first novel.

An announcement is made at a meeting that Islamic terrorists may be about to deploy an 'invisible', an agent native to Britain and able to move and act without attracting suspicion. This is worrying, but Liz has agents to supervise and a new MI6 counterpart to deal with. Very quickly, however, Liz receives information that puts her in the center of the operation to stop the threat. The reader sees both the actions of the terrorists and the efforts made to discover and stop them. Although Liz is clearly the heroine, it is made very clear that her successes are not only the result of her own intelligence but also the massive resources needed to investigate even the smallest lead. The author does not overemphasize or explain the 'tradecraft', but it is always present and adds a gritty reality to the narration. The suspense is heightened because the reader, who knows more about the terrorists as individuals, is allowed to learn crucial facts only when Liz does. Most of the action of this book is phone calls, conversations, and encrypted reports, but the pacing never lags. The descriptions and characterizations are vivid. The conclusion, although satisfying for the reader, deepens the characterization of Liz, who can only be dissatisfied with the outcome....more

God, this is so bland. I kept trying to come up with analogies for it while I was reading it - which says it all, really, considering it's meant to be this FAST-PACED, SUPER EXCITING THRILLER - but it's so nothingy. I bought it because the MC spends the first five minutes angsting about never having quite managed to figure out the dress code thing for life at MI5, because that sounded very me, but it doesn't get past that. I mean, you'd imagine that's meant to be the Endearing Feature about her,God, this is so bland. I kept trying to come up with analogies for it while I was reading it - which says it all, really, considering it's meant to be this FAST-PACED, SUPER EXCITING THRILLER - but it's so nothingy. I bought it because the MC spends the first five minutes angsting about never having quite managed to figure out the dress code thing for life at MI5, because that sounded very me, but it doesn't get past that. I mean, you'd imagine that's meant to be the Endearing Feature about her, but it's not, because the result of it is that she spends her life being thoroughly overdressed - too elegant, you know :) :) :) what a trial for her :) :) :) - but even that doesn't matter because she just HAPPENS to get invited out for special dinners for which she is perfectly dressed. It should've been a sign, really, that a book supposedly about the most dangerous sort of terrorist opens with the MC worrying about her plum-coloured shoes getting damp. ...more

I admit it. The primary reason why I purchased this book was because it is written by Stella Rimington, former Director General of MI5. I thought that it would be realistic, and interesting - well, I wasn't wrong! Admittedly, it is a little slow to start off with, but that's probably because I'm used to reading spy novels/thrillers that depend on big guns and explosions for excitement. This story does have those elements, but Rimington focuses more attention on the chase and the thought processeI admit it. The primary reason why I purchased this book was because it is written by Stella Rimington, former Director General of MI5. I thought that it would be realistic, and interesting - well, I wasn't wrong! Admittedly, it is a little slow to start off with, but that's probably because I'm used to reading spy novels/thrillers that depend on big guns and explosions for excitement. This story does have those elements, but Rimington focuses more attention on the chase and the thought processes of the characters.I found the protagonist, Liz Carlyle, to an authentic person that you can see bits of yourself in. She's ballsy, but not reckless, intelligent, but not domineering, and possesses just enough emotion to make her human, but not dramatic.If you are looking for an intelligent, realistic, and more subtle spy novel, then I highly recommend this one. I shall certainly be picking up the next book in the series....more

Steamed through this thriller. Interesting "stuff" revealed along the way which can only come from Stella Rimington's experience of M15 and MI6 workings together...The workings and methods of the intelligence services was as fascinating as the plot. Really pacey with a great strong female lead who doesn't seem overly "troubled"

This is a really good read. There are a few character flaws but generally not that important to the story line. The female terrorist is not that well developed; I would have liked to know about her and her change of heart is a bit too convenient. Not a bad first book in a series. I will read the others.

This was a book I wasn't particularly interested in that was recommended to me even though it is definitely not the genre I regularly read. It was good, I will give it that, but the plot was all over the map and it left several questions unanswered. Plus, the first third was incredibly boring, the second action packed, and the third was like a desert that you have heard is amazing, so you go to a restaurant and order it, only to find that it is a third the size of your fist. As I call it: a is aThis was a book I wasn't particularly interested in that was recommended to me even though it is definitely not the genre I regularly read. It was good, I will give it that, but the plot was all over the map and it left several questions unanswered. Plus, the first third was incredibly boring, the second action packed, and the third was like a desert that you have heard is amazing, so you go to a restaurant and order it, only to find that it is a third the size of your fist. As I call it: a is appointing desert. It had so much momentum going for it, yet like the end of the third hunger games book, the final couple chapters felt more like the character was dreaming than actually living it. This is a borderline four/three stars, and the reason I chose four is because of how exciting the middle is....more

The first novel from former MI5 boss, Stella Rimington, is, as one might expect, a thriller about a terrorist bomb-plot. Tightly plotted with a complex jigsaw puzzle of intersecting events and characters, it is packed with cliff-hangers.

Liz Carlyle, a female MI5 operative struggles to track down the security service's worst nightmare an 'invisible' - a home-grown terrorist with no obvious cultural or political allegiances - who is bent on carrying out a high-profile strike against an unknown taThe first novel from former MI5 boss, Stella Rimington, is, as one might expect, a thriller about a terrorist bomb-plot. Tightly plotted with a complex jigsaw puzzle of intersecting events and characters, it is packed with cliff-hangers.

Liz Carlyle, a female MI5 operative struggles to track down the security service's worst nightmare an 'invisible' - a home-grown terrorist with no obvious cultural or political allegiances - who is bent on carrying out a high-profile strike against an unknown target.

Relying on her own instinct as much as organisational resources and bedevilled by inter-service rivalry, Liz and her prey draw closer and closer as the plot ticks relentlessly and nail-bitingly towards its explosive climax.

This is the best new mystery I've read in months. Like "John LeCarre," Stella Rimington is a veteran of the British Secret Service writing from about spies & their bureaucratic context from the inside. Here her agent Liz Carlyle has to juggle her intense suspicion that something big is on its way through the terrorist pipeline with skeptical &/or lazy colleagues & an ill-advised romance. Of course no one can write like LeCarre--mercifully, or we'd all be slitting our wrists--but At RThis is the best new mystery I've read in months. Like "John LeCarre," Stella Rimington is a veteran of the British Secret Service writing from about spies & their bureaucratic context from the inside. Here her agent Liz Carlyle has to juggle her intense suspicion that something big is on its way through the terrorist pipeline with skeptical &/or lazy colleagues & an ill-advised romance. Of course no one can write like LeCarre--mercifully, or we'd all be slitting our wrists--but At Risk keeps up a brisk & tantalizing pace, with diverse & believable characters, & the advantage that, not coming from the Angry Young Man era, Rimington creates a world worth saving. I found the ending a little disappointing, but the journey rewarding....more

Can't believe I haven't read her before. A crime book group read. For me the best bit was the inside view of the machinations of central government, but it was a good story about the terrorist threat too.

I know it's taboo to say this, but I don't plan to finish this one. I'll give it two stars because I found the tracking and investigation of terrorist activity--the MI5 and MI6 stuff--pretty interesting. But the rest of it is just boring. I prefer that my protagonist have a few flaws, but Liz Carlyle clearly does not. And am I supposed to be impressed by the gender-role reversal, where the career-driven woman uses men and throws them away like snotty kleenex? I'm not a fan of Liz, in spite of thI know it's taboo to say this, but I don't plan to finish this one. I'll give it two stars because I found the tracking and investigation of terrorist activity--the MI5 and MI6 stuff--pretty interesting. But the rest of it is just boring. I prefer that my protagonist have a few flaws, but Liz Carlyle clearly does not. And am I supposed to be impressed by the gender-role reversal, where the career-driven woman uses men and throws them away like snotty kleenex? I'm not a fan of Liz, in spite of the fact that one of the few interesting things about her seems to be her shoes... Also, the lady terrorist became a terrorist , why exactly? Because her parents got divorced? Really??...more

AT RISK (Espionage-England-Cont) – VGRimington, Stella – 1st novelKnopf, 2004- HardcoverIntelligence officer gets word from one of her agents that there may be an imminent terrorist threat within England. Now it's her job to find the terrorists, identify their target, and prevent them from succeeding in their mission.*** Since the end of the cold war, I'd not found a good contemporary spy novel. This ends the drought. Ms. Rimington was director general of MI5 so she knows whereof she speaks. ButAT RISK (Espionage-England-Cont) – VGRimington, Stella – 1st novelKnopf, 2004- HardcoverIntelligence officer gets word from one of her agents that there may be an imminent terrorist threat within England. Now it's her job to find the terrorists, identify their target, and prevent them from succeeding in their mission.*** Since the end of the cold war, I'd not found a good contemporary spy novel. This ends the drought. Ms. Rimington was director general of MI5 so she knows whereof she speaks. But, more than that, she writes a fast-paced book with good characters and suspense than keeps you turning the pages but is not over the top. This was one cracking good read....more

Dame Stella Whitehouse Rimington joined the Security Service (MI5) in 1968. During her career she worked in all the main fields of the Service: counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. She was appointed Director General in 1992, the first woman to hold the post. She has written her autobiography and five Liz Carlyle novels. She lives in London and Norfolk.

Watch a video of StelDame Stella Whitehouse Rimington joined the Security Service (MI5) in 1968. During her career she worked in all the main fields of the Service: counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. She was appointed Director General in 1992, the first woman to hold the post. She has written her autobiography and five Liz Carlyle novels. She lives in London and Norfolk.